law legal crime

Photo: Envato Elements

Phoenix murder trial: All you need to know about the testimony given so far

On the eighth day of the trial, the court heard testimony from officers who discovered the horrific scene at the Govindsamy’s Longcroft Phoenix residence

law legal crime

Photo: Envato Elements

The murder trial of the Phoenix family murders continued on Wednesday and the Durban High Court heard detailed testimony from the police about the gruesome discovery of Jane Govindsamy and her daughters, Denisha and Nikita.

Phoenix murders: What happened to the Govindsamy family?

Colin Pillay, a 46-year-old truck driver, stands accused of murdering Govindsamy and her daughters. In September 2018, police were called out to the family’s Longcroft Phoenix residence where the bodies of the mother and her two children were found swimming in a pool of blood.

The 45-year-old mother’s body was found in her daughter’s bedroom. An autopsy report indicated that she had died from manual strangulation.

Nikita, Govindsamy’s 16-year-old daughter, was also strangled to death and was found lying face-down on her bed, while the body of her 22-year-old sister, Denisha, was discovered in a wardrobe.

While the motive behind the murders has yet to be formally established by the State, it is believed that Pillay had an extramarital affair with Govindsamy.

Pillay has since pleaded not guilty on charges of murder and theft (this involves the three cellphones and R1 800 believed to be stolen from the Govindsamy residence that were found in his possession). However, it will be a tough job countering the mounting evidence that has been heard in court, eight days into the trial.

The evidence against Pillay

So far, forensic experts have provided testimony of the evidence that was collected at the crime scene that links Pillay to the murders.

Besides the Govindsamy’s belongings that were found in his possession, according to an IOL News report, DNA expert Regina Janse van Rensburg testified that the bloodstains found on Pillay’s jeans, trainers and jacket matched Nikita’s DNA.

Pillay’s defence, in an attempt to discredit the forensic evidence, accused investigators of mishandling the crime scene and possibly contaminating the evidence that was later processed by pathologists.

However, Van Rensburg assured the court that evidence bags that were brought in without the appropriate sealant were immediately discarded and not processed.

Moreover, the court bore witness to CCTV footage taken from a boutique located about 100-metres away from the Govindsamy’s home which showed a figure believed to be Pillay getting rid of a silver metal object.

This contradicts Pillay’s claims that he was gambling at a park the day Govindsamy and her daughters were murdered.

A wrap-up of police testimony

On Wednesday, the court heard testimony from Warrant Officer Rajesh Naidoo, who was one of the first officers that arrived at the gruesome crime scene.

Naidoo took the court through the gory details of how the women’s bodies were discovered. He also confirmed that the investigators followed the appropriate evidence-collecting protocol.

What to expect from the trial’s next testimony

According to reports from Iono.fm, the State is preparing the testimony of a key witness who will take the court through WhatsApp conversations that he or she has of Pillay and the slain Govindsamy.

This, the State believes, will paint a clear motive behind Pillay’s alleged rage that saw him brutally murder his mistress and her two daughters.